The Elusive Neutrino

Oak Ridge, TN: U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, Division of Technical Information, 1969. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Wraps. Good. [2], 78 pages. Illustrations. Footnotes. Suggested References. Ex-library with usual markings. Some markings blacked out. Cover has some wear and soiling. This is one of the Understanding the Atom series. There are 51 booklets in the "Understanding the Atom Series" series published by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission. The booklets can be grouped into the categories of physics, chemistry, biology, nuclear reactors, the environment, and general interest. Nine of the booklets were available in French and 15 were available in Spanish. The discovery of the neutrino and the research involving this important elementary particle of matter is discussed. The introductory section reviews topics basic to the understanding of neutrino research: the electron, isotopes, wave character of the electron, spin, the neutron, transformation of particles, the photon, electromagnetic properties, interactions, and relativistic mass. The major portion of the discussion describes how the existence of neutrinos was confirmed, including such concepts as the laws of conservation, the paradox of the energy-momentum balance, particle-antiparticle annihilation, and other topics. Numerous photographs and diagrams are utilized. Jeremy Bernstein (born December 31, 1929 - , in Rochester, New York) is an American theoretical physicist and science essayist. Bernstein studied at Harvard University, receiving his bachelor's degree in 1951, masters in 1953, and Ph.D. in 1955, on electromagnetic properties of deuterium, under Julian Schwinger. As a theoretical physicist, he worked on elementary particle physics and cosmology. A summer spent in Los Alamos led to a position at the Institute for Advanced Study. In 1962 he became a faculty member at New York University, moving to become a professor of physics at Stevens Institute of Technology in 1967, a position that he continues to hold as Professor Emeritus. He has held adjunct or visiting positions at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, CERN, Oxford, the University of Islamabad, and the Ecole Polytechnique. He was also involved in Project Orion, investigating the potential for nuclear pulse propulsion for use in space travel. His books include "Physicists on Wall Street and Other Essays on Science and Society" (2010), and "Nuclear Weapons: What You Need to Know" (2010).